Lagatar24 Desk
Beirut, Lebanon: Tensions soared in Beirut on Tuesday as Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier three times in less than 30 minutes, causing deafening booms that sent residents fleeing for safety. The startling sonic disruptions occurred just before a highly anticipated speech by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Witnesses reported seeing the Israeli planes flying low over the Lebanese capital, with the sound of the booms being the loudest heard in Beirut in years. One Reuters reporter observed patrons at a café in the city’s Badaro district scattering as the powerful sounds reverberated through the area.
Nasrallah was scheduled to address the public around 5 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) to mark one week since the killing of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr, who was targeted in an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah has vowed retaliation for Shukr’s death, which occurred just hours before the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The operation, attributed to Israel, has not been officially confirmed or denied by Israeli authorities.
The recent violence has heightened regional tensions, with Iran also promising a severe response. The twin killings of key figures have pushed the Middle East to the brink of further conflict.
